11.24.2009 haslett high school 5450 marsh road haslett mi 48840 volume 15 issue 3

Feeling the shockWhen a split second becomes a disaster

by elizabeth YOUNG

Accidents page 2

The date is June 4, 2009, the day before school gets out and students embrace their newfound freedom for the next three months. Senior Aili Beauchine drives her car down Meridian Road with fellow senior Kat Smith in the passenger seat and Beauchine’s 12-year old brother, Andy, in the back. As Beauchine pulls up to the intersection, she glances right and left, the tall grass obscuring her view. Seeing nothing, she decides to creep forward.

What she doesn’t see is the red Monte Carlo attempting to pass an ongoing tractor. “She wasn’t in my oncoming lane,” Beauchine said. “All I really knew was that she wasn’t there when I looked

and then she was.”The lady’s car slams into the side of Beauchine’s tan Jeep Cherokee.

2 November 24, 2009 newsCar accidentsfrom page 1

Smith recalls what happened next.“I was looking the other way and so I just kinda heard a crash

and then there was just dust everywhere from the airbags,” Smith said. “It felt like we were sitting there forever. It was probably only a couple of seconds but it felt like forever. And then I just remember yelling, ‘Get out of the car!’ And we all just ran out of the car and out on the side of the road and Aili called the police.”

While Beauchine is on the phone with the cops, her younger brother aids them by calling their father. It isn’t until later that they realize the accident resulted in more than bodily damage to the car.

“My leg was pretty bashed up,” Smith said. “I still have some scars, but it was pretty much from here to here (indicating on her shin). All my skin was off.”

Beauchine felt terrible that her friend had gotten hurt while she was driving.

“I cried for nine hours ‘cause I felt bad,” Beauchine said, her voice remorseful at the memory.

A teenager getting into a car accident is not a new phenomenon. According to the Michigan Office of Highway Safety Planning, the number of teenage and young adult-related accidents reached 122,187 in 2007. However, while the rate has gone down by an average of 23.1 percent since 1998, people still get into car accidents, mainly due to small, typical errors.

“Common mistakes are those that involve experience such as driving too fast on ice and snow,” Meridian Police Department officer Greg Frenger said. “The use of cell phones or distraction has been a factor in some crashes. However, I believe these statistics are hard to verify as they are usually ‘self-reported.’”

Senior Liz Baker is familiar with the former. When Baker drove her friends home from a day at Boyne Mountain last December, she learned the hard way about the importance of being cautious in the winter time, especially during a snow storm.

“I went to change lanes…and I hit the slush in the middle of the lanes,” Baker said. “My car spun around, hit the guard rail and then got smashed into by a truck. We spun around again, before finally getting stuck in the two feet of snow in the middle of the median.”

Baker was so jarred by the shock of the accident that she couldn’t do anything at first.

“At first I was really mad. I was thinking, ‘This can’t be happening. How am I gonna tell my parents?’ Baker said. “And then the tears came. I could not stop crying for like three hours afterward. Dana (Alexander) actually took control a bit and asked if everyone was okay and all that. The first action I took was to get out of the car and look at the damage…then I called 911 and told them what happened and then I called my parents.”

What bothers Baker most about that night is the knowledge that she could have prevented the accident.

“I definitely could’ve done something different. Slowed down or just not passed the person at all,” Baker said. “It’s frustrating now knowing that it might not have happened if I would’ve just slowed down.”

Sometimes, it’s the other drivers’ negligence that people need to watch out for. Senior Brendan Rom’s accident was the result of a rising problem made by the birth of the cell phone.

“I was going to the Eastwood Towne Center and a lady turned in front of me and I hit her,” Rom said. “The lady I hit was texting and wasn’t paying attention to the way she was driving.”

Rom soon realized that there were younger passengers in the woman’s car and was concerned that they could have been affected by their mother’s carelessness.

“I tried getting out of my car and I couldn’t ‘cause it was in drive still,” Rom said. “(I) hopped out the window and went to the other car to make sure the kids in her car were all right.”

Small mistakes, ranging from texting and driving to drunk driving, can escalate into deadly, unforgettable consequences. Officer Frenger will never forget having to investigate a 2007 Hagadorn Road accident. A drunk driver had been trying to cross the center line at the top of a hill when he crashed into a car of five teenagers, killing two and injuring three others.

“The teens were sober and completely innocent in the incident,” Frenger said. “The driver was convicted of murder.”

A flower-wreathed cross surrounded by little toys serves as a memorial for the innocent victims.

“I pass it every day on my way to work and recall that horrible night,” Frenger said. “It bothers me to this day. But I know that what I feel about it cannot at all compare to the victims, their families and the man who caused the crash.”

While Beauchine, Smith, Baker and Rom were not involved in any fatal accidents, they all had to face repercussions in the aftermath of their accidents. The consequences varied, ranging from hefty car damages to a decrease in their parents’ trust. Beauchine in particular had to deal with multiple consequences.

“I still can’t drive past midnight because I’m on probation because of my ticket so that sucks,” Beauchine said. “As far as my parents go, they don’t like me (doing) unnecessary driving. Like they don’t like me taking trips for no reason. If I’m going to the grocery store, they don’t want me going if I only need to get like one thing. It’s simple stuff like that and not making a bunch of extra trips.”

While Beauchine’s parents have begun to trust her again, she senses the newfound doubt coloring that trust.

“It’s getting a lot easier here because they know I’m a good driver and they trust me, but you know it’s always in the back of their mind that ‘she did crash her last car’,” Beauchine said.

The most enduring consequence is the wake-up call that they have all received. Now that the idea of getting into a car accident is more of a concrete experience than conjecture, the students have reflected on their driving habits and have adjusted them accordingly.

For Baker, her experience with being in a winter car accident left her wary about driving again.

“It definitely changed the way I drive,” Baker said. “Right after the accident, I would not drive anywhere. It took me a couple of weeks to get comfortable driving to places just around the corner. Finally, once the snow melted, I felt a little bit better, but not much. I still hate driving.”

When Beauchine got back on the road again, memories of

her car accident were everywhere. Each intersection became a reminder of what she should and shouldn’t do as a driver.

“I feel like every time I pull up into an intersection, I can feel like, ‘Oh, if I wouldn’t have been looking, this could have happened again,’” Beauchine said. “I see accidents happening a lot more when I’m driving, not like physical accidents, but I can picture it in my head.”

Riding in cars with friends has also become an entirely new situation as Beauchine and Smith easily pick up on the mistakes in their friends’ driving. Smith becomes especially wary whenever she sees one of her friends speeding or punching buttons on a cell phone while driving.

“I know it’s (texting) really common and I have been the kid to say, ‘Can you please not text right now?’” Smith said. “I feel so lame but, especially right after the accident, I remember having to tell my friends, ‘Slow down, please.’ It’s worth your life.”

Beauchine agrees.“Accidents seriously happen so fast, so fast and they’re normally

preventable,” Beauchine said. “Texting while you’re driving is actually a terrible idea. I wasn’t doing it, but knowing that your attention is not focused, even if you’re good at it or you can do it without looking, you know you’re not paying attention.”

Officer Frenger warns new drivers that the freedom of driving comes with being responsible on the road.

“Driving is a privilege, and young drivers need to be aware that they can lose the privilege,” Frenger said. “Studies regarding texting while driving have shown a driver texting is more dangerous than a drunk driver. Other distractions such as telephone calls can reduce driver attention and cause accidents as well.”

Despite the widespread mentality, teenagers aren’t indestructible and infallible. The mistakes that they get away with today may not be ones they can get away with tomorrow.

“It really could happen to anybody,” Smith said. “You always think, ‘Oh, it can’t be me.’”

Top 5 Tips from Officer Greg Frenger

1. No text message is more important than your life or the life of others around you.2. If you think it will never happen to you, you are wrong.3. Don’t drink and drive.4. Don’t get in a vehicle with a drunk driver. 5. Keep your mind on what you are doing and your hands on the steering wheel when you are driving.

3November 24, 2009 news

Students balance work and schoolby nick WAKULSKY

Waking up at 6 a.m., driving to school by 7:30 a.m., getting to work by 3:30 p.m. and starting homework at 8 p.m. doesn’t leave a high school student much time for fun, sports or other extracurricular activities. But that is a typical day for some students.

As students get further along in high school during their junior and senior years, many have the need to find a job. While some kids today think that going to school is their only occupation, there are many

The Answers in Black and White

Why is there so much construction right now?

“They wanted to do it in the summer, but the stimulus money didn’t come in time.”-police officer Chuck Glumb

“Obviously it was cut because of the budget. Students won’t have the same opportunities that they previously had.”-English teacher Delores Schnarr

Why was the Michigan Merit Scholarship cut and what does that mean for students?

“They’re comfortable and they go with pretty much everything you wear. Plus they’re warm and are like pants but cuter.”-sophomore Nikki Devine

“We don’t want any unsu-pervised students in the building. We want to keep our building safe, for our students when we aren’t here to supervise.”-associate principal Andrea Rumsey

Why does principal Bart Wegenke get everyone out of the school by 2:40 p.m.?

Why do girls wear leg-gings?

by lauren HOOPER

others who go to school, play a sport and still manage to hold down a job.

For most students, having their first job during high school is just a part of growing up and a look into what their futures might be like. Senior Arron Lippincott works at Abercrombie Kids. “I always wanted to get a job in high school so I could have some extra money,” Lippincott said. Other students find going to school and having a job at the same time rather difficult to manage, while others don’t seem to mind it. “It does add stress when I have to work,

especially right after school,” Lippincott said. “But it’s money in my pocket so it’s worth it.”

Stress for students builds as they try to find a balance between working outside of school and completing their responsibilities with school-related work.

Many students feel that without their jobs, they couldn’t pay for things they need like gas for their car, food or entertainment

expenses. Senior Lexis Guarnaccia

works at the AMC theater near the Meridian Mall. “The best part about working is getting a paycheck so I can have some extra spending money,” Guarnaccia said.

For many, having a job is just a necessary part of high school life. However, they do have to miss out on time with friends and other school activities because of their work duties. “Working is a great experience, but sometimes I wish I could have a little more time to spend with my friends,” Guarnaccia said.

Although finding a balance between school and work can be difficult, students soon fall into a rhythm.

“I just get used to the stress,” Lippincott said.

For most students, working at their jobs doesn’t necessarily affect their grades, but it definitely makes it harder to get all their homework done and find time to study for tests. “I have to make sure I still have enough time to get everything else done, like homework and stuff at home, and still go to work,” Lippincott said.

For some, having a job makes them feel tired at school because

they have to stay up later to get all of their homework completed.

“Sometimes it’s really hard to get everything done, but somehow I manage to do it all,” Guarnaccia said.

If given a choice, most students would prefer to just work on the weekends because going to school and work in the same day can be stressful. On average, students who work spend between four to 16 hours a week at their jobs while still attending school and often playing sports or belonging to school groups in their decreased free time.

For more students on the job see Photo Story page 10

photo illustrations by andrew BEAUMAN

Class

4November 24, 2009 opinion

“The majority of (the juniors) seem like pretty cool people from what I’ve seen.” -Lauren Linscott, senior

“[The sophomores are] a fairly hard- working class. They don’t act up, [they’re] quiet, good kids.” -Kate Miller, junior

“We definitely have a sense of unique originality. We know who we are. I’m definitely proud to be a sophomore!” -Matt Sauer, sophomore

“Everyone says that we are the most hardworking class... I believe that.” -Tanisha Thompson, junior

In the fall, the football field draws in the mass-es. It seems like everyone plus their grandparents arrive to watch “our boys” take down the oppos-ing team. What is it about the football team that attracts so many spectators?

Then in the winter, the majority of the student body can be found at a Friday night boys basket-ball game.

Why are so many people drawn to spending over an hour in a hot, sweaty gym in the middle of the winter?

The football team and basketball teams are both made up of very hardworking athletes. They deserve credit for this. But how many spectators show up at a cross country meet, a swim meet or a soccer game? All of these teams, including many others, have had successful sea-sons.The cross country team, which has some of the top runners in the state, has placed well at many of its meets. The girls and boys swimming

and diving teams have won numerous league championship titles and consistently remain un-defeated in their league. The boys soccer team recently competed on the road to states.

There are numerous athletic teams at our school that receive little recognition for their accomplishments. When is the last time an an-nouncement was made for the gymnastics team winning a meet? Or the water polo team defeat-ing its latest opponent?

Sure, the football and basketball teams are pop-ular. That’s fine. But this esteem becomes prob-lematic when the success of other sports teams is eclipsed by the football and/or basketball teams’ popularity.

So listen up, Haslett High: Support the other athletic teams here. You might just be surprised at how entertaining these various sports are to watch. Let’s give all of our athletes the recogni-tion they deserve.

“We are pretty immature like all freshman classes are, and you could say I contribute to that.” -Patrick O’Donnell, freshman

“I think (the freshmen) are all right ex-cept for the select few who think they are better than everyone else. Those people I don’t care for and don’t have any respect for.” -Kwane Shacks, junior

“I think the seniors are nice. They aren’t mean and they’re very sup-portive.They encourage me to take hard classes.” -Christine Harder, freshman

“ Were pretty sweet. It will be in-tresting to see who’s at our 10-year reunion.” -Noah Timm, senior

OpinionsDifferent perspectives on different grades

STAFF EDITORIAL:

Don’t forget: There’s more to school than just football

photo illustration by taylor PARKER

Even though we’re students, we’re not dumb. Yes, we are learning. Yes, we are rascals. Yes, we are extremely different from each other and have a variety of viewpoints. But together the student body is an intelligent bunch. It only takes about a month to figure out the way things go around here. There is a justified amount of authority, about the same amount as any other public

school. But there’s limited freedom for the students.I don’t mean freedom as in letting us go out to lunch and smoke

pot every day. Freedom as in our voices. After what seems like 150 years committed to Haslett athletics, athletic director Jamie Gent has declared his retirement. The question on our minds, however, is who will replace him? The school board decides and it will be someone who has spent years here committed to Haslett sports and has done nothing but good things for the program. It will probably be one of the men’s athletic coaches.

The athletes will have absolutely no say in the matter and be stuck with what they get. How is that right when we are the ones playing the sports? Aren’t we the ones who are affected the most by this situation? Does it matter what we would prefer in an athletic director? Nope. It doesn’t. And it won’t. And that’s what’s wrong with this school.

Our nation is suffering from the worst economic recession since the Great Depression. And, as we know, Haslett has definitely suf-fered. With budget cuts up the wazoo, money has been tight around here. It’s been the school board, once again, who decides where the little money we have will be distributed. Students are the ones who sit in class all day long, doing homework out of books older than my parents. Yet they want to get new football jerseys? If a poll went around the school asking students where they would rather put the school’s money, the school board would be surprised by how many would choose new desks or more computers.

Although I am thankful for our school, our exceptional staff and high ranked athletics (that was me being serious), some things are unjust. The school board doesn’t take into consideration the voice of ALL of the students.

We deserve to not only be heard, but to be listened to.

5 November 24, 2009 opinion

The CREWViking Longboat staff

The Viking Longboat is a monthly publication of Haslett High School, 5450 Marsh Road, Haslett, MI 48840. It is published by the fifth and sixth hour Newspaper Production class and Journalism class. The Longboat has been established as a student run public forum circulated within the school and to subscribers in the community and outside the school district. The Longboat is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association, Journalism Education As-sociation, Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Michigan Interscholastic Press Association. The publication is an eight-time Spartan award winner and CSPA gold medalist. Letters to the editor are accepted at the discretion of the editorial board. Forms of speech not protected by the First Amendment will not be published. Letters must be signed by the author and may be edited for grammar, spelling and style. Direct all questions to the Publications Room, Room 411.

STAFFAli AdkinsMeghan AndersonChris AndresenLiz BakerCourtney BlackMary BrownKelsea EllisKristen EverhardtAaron GroveShane HestonLauren HooperJake LampmanJenny LittleChris LounsberyJacob Meier

Kerry MorrisGabe Nester Zach ParkerChelsea RidenourLiz RingleinNick RosenberyMichael ShermanKat SmithJessica StanichCassie StaszukMaggie TurneyCalla Van AttaCasey VanDenBergNick WakulskyKevin WilsonShelby WoodRebecca Wright

editor-in-chief Emma Clauchertycopy editorElizabeth Youngphoto editor Taylor Parker &Andrew Beauman

opinion editor Bailey McMillan sports editorJerry Eastwood & Lexis Guarnacciafeature editorHannah Nowicki ad managerMary Hilkeradviser Julie Price & Jeremy Whiting

Students deserve to be heard Don’t call rap and pop musicW h e n

I was as-signed to write this column, I had no idea what topic it should be on. I tried

to think about things that inter-est me and that I have strong feelings about.

Immediately I thought of music. I had to find an appeal-ing angle to write from. I was asked what sorts of music I like. “Well,” I said, “everything- EX-CEPT rap and pop!”

Surprised by the conviction in my own voice, I knew exact-ly what my topic would be: the lack of musicality found in rap and today’s popular music.

I fully respect rap as a form of poetic expression. But to call a rapper a musician would be akin to saying a toad is a fish. Sure, there are similari-ties there, but musicians and rappers have one fundamental difference: Musicians make music.

Why isn’t rap music? Web-ster Dictionary defines music as, “The science or art of com-bining tones into a composition having structure and continu-

ity; also: vocal or instrumental sounds having rhythm, melody or harmony.” Certainly, rap-pers compose vocal parts in-volving rhythm. But two of music’s main elements are missing.

Without melody and harmony, how can you call something music? Rap has neither melody nor harmony. In most rap, the rapper has one or two notes that every word is said on. Hardly a melody.

This is not to say that rap doesn’t involve mu-sic. There is music on ev-ery rap album. Musicians make the backing beats and instrumental harmony parts behind the rapping. Unfortunately, the artist whose name goes on the album often has nothing to do with the composition or playing of any music on the album’s tracks.

Rappers are, however, art-ists. They write their poetry and perform it as an outlet of expression. Still, rapping makes them no more a musician than a painter.

Admittedly, rap is part of something larger. It is one

cog in an industrial machine programmed to sell itself to a society that is too distracted to notice.

We all realize that our glo-balized world provides a

constant flow of new information to us at ever increasing rates. It has addicted us to speed and productiv-ity. A moment of rest is a moment wasted.

Our entertainment has followed suit. Tele-vision, video games, high speed Internet – all of these mediums offer us instant stimula-tion. We simply can’t wait to turn our minds off and burn away the stress.

This attitude has leaked over into popu-lar music as well.

Just like TV and vid-eo games, pop music does not make us think.

We turn on our radios and hear a catchy tune and it in-stantly sticks in the back of our consciousness as our thoughts zoom from work to tennis to the latest world crisis. The mu-sic doesn’t distract us, it doesn’t even attempt to pull our atten-

tion away from the “important things.”

But have you ever listened to pop radio? It’s an auditory cesspool full of three chord har-monies and four note melodies, held together by a factory- is-sued drumbeat.

What happened to creativ-ity? Inventiveness? Original-ity? It’s like artists aren’t trying. They just say, “This is what’s selling now, let’s see how much of it we can pump out.” And people buy it.

Unfortunately, Americans can’t get enough of pop music.

This is not meant to insult those artists who are innovat-ing and making good music. There are people out there trying new things and playing music for artistic expression. It’s unfortunate that they don’t get recognized for it. These are the people who are musicians for the right reasons, not the money.

Neil Young said, “A lot of music is crap, and it’s all com-mercial.” There is still great mu-sic being made, you just have to be willing to look for it.

Wicasa’s World

by michael SHERMAN

by casey VANDENBERG

by ali FOOTE

6 November 24, 2009 features

Q:1. Do you think the world is going to end in 2012?2. What would you do before it was ending?

Ian McCabe1. (The only person who said yes)2. “I plan to satisfy all of my de-sires.”

Aaron Dimet1. No.2. “Drop out of school and party a lot. And move to Australia and go Zorb-ing.”

Katharine Nunn1. I am undecided.2. “Hula hoop for an hour while eating Jello in one hand and tex-ting Jill Detwiler in the other.”

Billy Hastings1. Hopefully.2. “I would commit grand theft auto and rob a bank. I’d go parasailing and shoot a shark at the same time. And then, right before the world was about to end, I would jump out of a plane in a Superman costume.”

Jacob Glietsman (SP) 1. No.2. “Become a trapeze artist who doesn’t use a net.”

Maggie Whaley1. No.2. “Go to Meijer, steal all of the Double Stuf Oreos and share them with my family and friends.”

Ian Culver1. No.2. “I would not wear clothes, and cross country road trip in a tank.”

I went into this movie begrudgingly, assuming that I would come out of it depressed and scared - terrified of the rapidly approaching apocalypse. How-ever, this was not the case. The movie follows father and author Jackson Cur-tis (John Cusack) and his estranged family - distanced by a divorce - as they struggle to survive amidst the most traumatic event in the history of mankind. As the family narrowly escapes catastrophe after catastrophe, their relation-ship begins to rekindle and they are reminded of what is really important - looking out for one another.

Although many scenes are extremely unrealistic, the special effects are impressive - with toppling skyscrapers, harrowing airplane rides and a high speed escape in a limo, I felt like I was in a 3-D theater.

Unlike other “end-of-the-world” films, there is no spiritual source causing or influencing the apocalypse, and there are no other external forces affect-ing the outcome. The movie is very science-based because all events of the apocalypse are brought on by natural forces alone.

Director Roland Emmerich addresses this devastating topic in a somewhat sensitive manner by demonstrating the power of humanity as the people of the world are truly united during the ultimate struggle for survival.

‘2012’ Movie Reviewby calla VAN ATTA

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photo illustration bytaylor PARKER

8 November 24, 2009 9blue compass November 24, 2009

Six years and an embarassing amount of concerts later and I was finally able to see them up close. O.A.R, my favorite band of all time came to a small venue in Grand Rapids, and to me it was more than just a concert.

The tiny room was completely crowded, but being pushed around and shoved into random people was completely worth it. I had never been so taken away by a concert. Afterwards all my friends and I could do was talk about what had just happened over and over again. My older sister was there too, and during the middle of the concert she even texted me saying, “Awh, I love you little Kat”. Everyone was just so happy.

Being so close really made me think, what is it about music that grabs people? To me really good songs are more than just catchy tunes, they’re something you can live by and seek advice from. Music has always been there for me. Looking around at all the people, just like me, being captivated by O.A.R made it seem like other people feel the same way.

Finding that one song that perfectly describes a situation can be everything you need. Personally, I have my Michael Buble for the lovey dovey moments, LFO and N’Sync for screaming with my friends, Slightly Stoopid and Mae when I need some cheering up, and O.A.R for pretty much everything else. Music can reflect on and even create the moments that make our lives. In movies and TV shows the songs they play really set the mood; Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the U.S.A” wouldn’t really fit in movies like “The Note-bookz” or “Fight Club.” Music can portray emotion and complete-ly change people’s moods.

Most teenagers, including myself, can’t even drive without being at the risk of blowing out a speaker. I follow music wherever I go. My taste in music seems to change as I change as a person – it’s something I’ll always have in my life.

The connection music brings to people is really important. It can always be a great conversation starter when meeting new peo-ple. It’s completely possible to feel a connection with someone you barely know just by knowing the same bands and having the same favorite song. Music is a reflection on who a person truly is. So ask yourself, what’s the soundtrack of your life?

Music sings to every aspect of life

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61%98%

of students have been to a concert of their favorite singer/group.

of students have over 1,000 songs on their iPod / music player.

of students agree that music is a way to brighten and lift up their spirits.

“”

[Music] is my life. It’s what entertains me and it takes my mind off of everything. It’s like background noise.

-Bianca Nieto, freshman

Ever wonder what’s playing on your teachers’ iPods? Jan Shoemaker: Build Me Up Buttercup –The Foundations

Pattiya Dabler:Beast of Burden –The Rolling Stones

Russ Olson: Paperback Writer –The Beatles

Julie Price:No Woman, No Cry –Bob Marley

John Moore:Unchained Melody –The Righteous Brothers

Rob Porritt:What A Wonderful World –Louis Armstrong

Charlie Otlewski: Halo –Beyonce

Nick Stanko: Rabbit Habits –Man Man

A Haslett newbie has students talking about his band Skyline Rush. Junior Barrett Peters is the lead singer for this three person band. Two Okemos students, Ram Choi and Peter Webber, have played with Peters in Skyline Rush for a year and two months.

“I used to stick with strictly acoustic music, which eventually got boring,” Peters said. One day during the summer of 2008, Peters said they “created a techno song for fun and people really liked it.” The guitar player, Choi, writes majority of the techno while Peters writes the lyrics. The intricate lights and production is thanks to Webber, who also critiques and inputs musical ideas. The band performs state wide from Ojibway Park in Saginaw to Mac’s Bar on Grand River.

Skyline Rush is inspired by the genre of metal because of its strong rhythm and beats. “That’s where our sound gets its intricacy,” Peters said. The group will listen to music together to get ideas, then the writ-ing begins.

He loves the endless possibili-ties music has to offer. “With sports you are in a box. There are rules restricting your creativity. Music is whatever you can pull from the air,” Peters said.

The goal for Skyline Rush is to get signed with a record label. The group’s dream “is to be self suffi-cient and tour full time,” Peters said.

Fans can keep updated on perfor-mances and new music through the group’s Facebook page. Search for ‘Skyline Rush street team’ to read more information about this local techo band.

Skyline Rush goes the techno route

One phone call in August was all it took to start A Makeshift Summer for two high school boys. The drummer, junior Conner Keebauch, got a call from the bass player, senior Tyler Denzzek, asking if Conner wanted to start a band. Guitarist Jeff Kapps, al-though excited about the prospects of getting a drummer, was wor-ried that Conner, who had started playing merely six months be-fore joining the band, was not ready. “He didn’t want a 16 year old in the band,” Kapps said,

Denzzek and Kapps came over to play in Keebauch’s basement and within the first 20 minutes of playing together, they got their first song “Nov 9th” written. “We all came from different musical backgrounds and have different tastes” Keebauch said, which en-courages them to experiment with their sound and come up with something that they all can agree with.

The lack of having a singer isn’t holding them back. They wouldn’t mind playing an all instrumental show at a local venue someday. Hesitant however, Keebauch said, “I’m worried that the fans won’t get as into it without the vocals.” Once a singer is found, they hope to play larger events.

The band’s name is unique and comes from a variety of aspects they all put together. “We all agreed to have Makeshift a part of (the name) because that’s the best way to describe our experiences. Everything about us is makeshift,” Keebauch said. The “summer” comes from the time they began playing.

For now, the band is content and is looking forward to its future and what comes with it. “We’re going to do what’s best for the band,” Keebauch said.

Denzek and Keebaugh come together for A Makeshift Summer

High school bands are not uncommon, but junior Eponine Ze-nker’s band has something most don’t. Not only have they played at Common Ground, but they had never met each other before at-tending the School of Rock, a program held by the band The Otter Vibe, over the summer.

Zenker, 16, plays keyboard and sings for the band Long After Dark. The band is made up of Zenker, guitarists Courtney Mey-ers and Quincy Lafayette, drummer Nathan Lafayette and bass-ist/singer Kyri Rowanwood. The band was thrown together at the school by luck and has stayed together since July.

“We all just happened to be together and we all just clicked,” Zenker said.

For now, the band does mostly covers of Creedence Clearwater Revival and Tom Petty, but it is working on writing new songs.

It’s not the songwriting, done mostly by Quincy Lafayette and Meyers, that’s Zenker’s favorite part though. “I think the coolest part is performing because, I mean, you really can’t beat it,” Ze-nker said.

Eppie Zenker in Long After Dark

Junior Andrew Beauman is a one man band. While recording his own music, he plays the keyboard and percussion as well as the electric, acoustic and bass guitar.

“Once you learn one instrument it’s relatively easy to transition to another,” Beauman said. “My favorite is the acoustic guitar.” The songs are born in a friend’s recording studio where he plays each instrument individually before combining them for the final product.

His lyrics are about life, love, God, people, his feelings and his questions. “Music is a way for people to take what they feel and are wondering about inside and attempt to express it,” Beauman said.

Beauman holds up a well worn colorful notebook. He has about seven similar ones filled with lyrics, but has only recorded about 25 songs. From rock and electric to alternative, Beauman’s range of music reflects his own musical preferences.

Although he’s been too busy with school lately, Beauman has performed at About Face Youth Center and his church’s youth group.

His music truly characterizes who he is. His variety in general, his love for different instruments, and his fun and deep lyrics ema-nate his vibrant, unique personality.

Beauman is a one man band

“”

“Music makes me think, it’s the best thing that was ever invented by anybody ever.”-Andrew Heinz, junior

by meghan ANDERSON

by jenny LITTLE

by gabriel NESTER

by cassandra STAZUK

“

”

Music is pretty big. I’m choir every day and I’m in the musical. Otherwise, I’m not one of the people who turn on the radio and like it.

-Molly Hudgins, senior

Junior Barrett Peters performs during a Skyline Rush concert at Fowlerville High School.

courtesy photo barrett PETERS

by kat SMITH

10 November 24, 2009 photo story

WE DOWORK

STUDENTS WORK HARD AROUND THE CLOCK

photo story by taylor PARKER

Above: Junior Taylor Guarnaccia and senior Raché Nickerson greet and seat customers at Outback Steak-house. Below: Junior Michelle Schimpke and her co-worker Brandy Atkins work together to host hungry patrons at Dusty’s Cellar.

Top: Senior Lizzie Kronner pays close attention in PDM and also takes orders as cashier for Noodles & Co. Above: Senior Arron Lippincott keeps Abercrombie Kid’s display looking brand new.

11November 24, 2009 Features

A Closer Look at:

CammyHenryfigure skater

RangariroMutatusoccerplayer

by kerry MORRIS by liz BAKER

There’s No Vaccine F o r T h i s O n e

by rebecca WRIGHT

Top 8 Reasons Seniors Have M i s s e d C l a s s T h i s Ye a r 1. Doctor Visits/Sickness 2. Senioritis 3. School Related Trips 4. Visiting Colleges 5. Skipping 6. Sports 7. Family Trips/Issues 8. Call of Duty

Sleeping in, lack of concentration and skipping class-- senioritis is already plaguing the Class of 2010. Nineteen percent of 21 seniors surveyed think senioritis isn’t a problem. Yet 31 percent of students said senioritis is the main reason they’ve missed school this year.

Senior Jane Fast admits she has trouble staying focused because of senioritis.

Moving to a new school is never easy, especially when that school is an ocean away in a different country. Junior Rangariro Mutatu was faced with this exact challenge.

Mutatu and his family packed up and moved to Haslett from Zimbabwe, Africa in 2007 so his father could continue his studies in chemistry at Michigan State University.

“It was easier for all of us to be in one place as a family” Mutatu said. Although he had some idea he was going to move, Mutatu didn’t know if he was happy or sad

about the decision. He had to leave behind his friends, girlfriend and even most of his clothes, to move to America.

Looking back, Mutatu can vividly recall his first experiences in Michigan. He remembers see-ing the light powder we are all so accustom to during the winter months. The snow was not the only foreign thing to him though. He said, “somehow it felt weird. The air, people, and build-ings.” The first thing Mutatu and his family did after leaving the airport was stop at a Burger King, something foreign to them.

Although times were tough in the beginning, Mutatu adapted to the chang-es fairly well. One of the best changes he experienced was

becoming part of the United States school system. “School here is easier...teachers can’t hit you when

you mess up” Mutatu said. Simply talking in class could result in some sort of physical punishment. Going from a system where

abuse is not frowned upon to the United States was a giant leap for Mutatu, but that did not change his study habits.

When he first moved here, he got bumped up to a higher grade. Difficult at first, Mutatu adjusted and began to excel in school once more. Along side his studies, Mutatu made new friends while playing soccer, swimming and running track. He par-

ticipated in all three sports back in Zimbabwe, so he was comfortable on the teams. Mutatu even says most of his friends are soc-cer players.

Most kids Mutatu’s age could never dream of mov-ing over seas and starting a new life. But through a strong work ethic and good friends Mutatu has fit right into the American dream.

“Most people are kind of nice, so it wasn’t that hard,” Mutatu said.

“I don’t see the point in going anymore since I’ve gotten into college,” she said.

But other students surveyed said just because it’s senior year doesn’t mean attendance should be a problem.

“People should get over the fact that it’s senior year, suck it up and go to school,” senior Kimmy Schmidt said.

“”

School here is easier...teachers can’t hit you when you mess up. Mu-tatu said.

Days Missed This Year vs. Last Year

Days Missed

Black= Last YearGray= This Year

0

12

3

4

2

76

8

9

1 to 5 5 to 10 10 to 15 15 to 20 20 to 25

photo by liz BAKERphoto courtesy cammy HENRY

-Rangariro Mutatu

From chess to basketball, painting to tennis, theater to track; one element remains constant regardless of the discipline: the need for passion. Athletes and artists alike must strive to achieve the best of their ability in order to reach their audacious goals.

Seeing senior Cammy Henry in class, the level of determination she has exhibited since the age of four isn’t obvious. While most students spend their summers on the beach or at the movies, Henry is repeatedly running up and down the stands of the Suburban Ice rink. During the year, most head home after the final bell while Henry performs an additional two hours of intense physical training. No, she’s not trying out for the NFL, she’s a figure skater.

“Everybody thinks it’s a ‘twirly whirly’ sport,” Henry said “It’s not.”Henry’s severe summer training consists of laps, suicides and vigorous endurance exercises all led

by a merciless trainer of the Detroit Red Wings. It doesn’t get any easier off the ice, as Henry heads to ballet and yoga classes to stay perfectly fit. Despite summer temperatures of 85° and above, Henry sports Under Amour leggings and a long-sleeve t-shirt. But through it all, Henry is never alone. The support of her long-time friend Sophie Othoudt from Williamston has helped her keep strength.

“It’s nice to have someone who understands what you’re going through,” Henry said. “We support each other so much.”

In addition to her vigorous physical regimen, Henry’s mental preparation plays a crucial role. Be-ing a figure skater means performing in front of hundreds of eager spectators all while being

ruthlessly judged for every detail of her routine. Having the courage to hit the ice is just as important as every step climbed.

“It’s a rush of excitement, but it’s a scared jittery type,” Henry said. “Once the music starts you just go.

Despite her young age, Henry has already had a lively career on the ice. Just this past summer, Henry placed first in a major Grand Rapids competition. Confidence was key, as she kept her nerves from taking center stage. With the motiva-tional help of her coach, she was able to see the event for what it was: a simple competition.

“I was laid back, it was the best I’ve ever skated.” Henry said.Henry’s skating career continues to move forward as she plans to

continue her passionate work at the college level. Right now she is working towards Michigan State University’s collegiate figure skat-ing team. For her it is not just an extra-curricular activity, but an intrinsic part of who she is. It factors into her decision-making, her social life and her schoolwork.

“It’s the best and worst part of my life. It has such an amazing impact [on me],” Henry said. “It’s a great escape and helps me get through things.”

With the goals Henry has set for herself and the accom-plishments already behind her, figure skating has been one of the most important aspects of who she is today. It has shaped her as a student, and taught her that nothing in her path is unattainable.

“At the end of the day I’m just so happy I do it,” She said.

12November 24, 2009 features

Quarter Past Never• Every Thursday• Wild Wing Cafe, Okemos• Evenings• Free

Of Virtue• December 19th• Mac’s Bar, Lansing• 5 pm• $10

Goo Goo Dolls• December 31st• MotorCity Casino Hotel, Detroit• 9 pm• $50

Rooney• December 9th•Majestic Theatre, Detroit• 7 pm• $15

Haily Wojcik• December 6th• Small Planet, East Lansing• 7 pm• $7

Phoenix• December 8th• Clutch Cargo’s, Pontiac• 7 pm• $25

Dashboard Confessionalw/ New Found Glory• December 8th• St. Andrew’s Hall, Detroit• 7 pm• $28

UPCOMING CONCERTS

photo illustration by taylor PARKER

Local bars provide provide hot music venues by mary BROWN

The music scene in the Lansing area has been relatively underground throught the years, with only a few followers and a couple of venues available to watch their favorite musical acts.

But over the past couple years, an increasing number of local bands has helped the music scene gain popularity among the young people in the area. Local venues, such as Small Planet in East Lansing and Mac’s Bar in Lansing, are two of the more popular local venues for high school and college students to hang out at, eat and watch musical sets from both local and nationally known artists. Both are open to all ages, although Small Planet’s

doors close to under 18 at 11 p.m. and Mac’s Bar doors close to under 18 at varying times, based on when the shows start. Small Planet was founded in 1974 in downtown East Lansing, but closed in 2000 when the city tore down the building to build the City Center. It reopened in 2008 at 1600 Chandler Road, near Chandler Crossing and has since been gaining popularity with local music fans.

“Small Planet is a much better music venue than Mac’s Bar,” sophomore Amber Polhill said. “The way they have it set is that you can see the stage no matter where you are in the building. Also, there’s more room in front of the stage for people to dance and stuff.”

Music is definitely the main focus for the Small Planet, and each performance has a theme to it. There is generally a main attraction band, one that is relatively famous and many people want to see. Local bands usually open for that big band. This allows people to have a night of diverse types of music, and lets local bands get news out about themselves and develop a fan base. There is also a bar for people who are of age. But it is predominantly a concert venue as well as a restaurant. The menu includes food for vegetarians, as well as food for meat lovers. “The food looks actually appetizing,” Polhill said. “Not like that nasty bar food stuff.” Tickets are approximately $12.

Mac’s Bar is a Lansing classic. It has been around for roughly 60 years and has hosted diverse music genres: punk rockers, hip hoppers, old local rock guys and college students. Its atmosphere is much different from that of Small Planet.

“It feels much more like a bar scene than a music venue,” Polhill said. “It seems like most of the people who go there only go there to drink, not to listen to the music.”

There isn’t much for food, just stereotypical bar food like pretzels. “It’s a decent venue though,” Polhill said. “The bands are mostly local people, and the people who don’t go there to drink are the band’s friends supporting them. I like that.”

Road Trip• The Annex400 E. Grand River Ave. ,Brighton(44 minutes)

• Hartland PAC9525 E Highland Rd, Howell(46 minutes)

• Clutch’s Cargo65 East Huron St. Pontiac(1 hour, 16 minutes)

• Hill Auditorium825 N. University Ave. Ann Arbor (1 hour, 4 minutes from HHS)

• Mixtape Venue133 Division Ave S, Grand Rapids(1 hour, 11 minutes)

• Basement 414414 E. Michigan Ave, Lansing(19 minutes)

13 November 24, 2009 sports

Senior Cody Little helped lead the Haslett soccer team to a 18-4-1 this season.

ATHLETES OF THE MONTH

photo courtesy of cody LITTLE

by courtney BLACK

“I don’t think about any-thing else but hitting,” junior Allie Horstman said of her pre-game mind set. She is completely focused and deter-mined before every game.

Horstman has been a force to be reckoned with in the middle front. She is respon-sible for many of the kills the team put down this season.

There is passion in Horst-man’s voice as she discuss-es volleyball, which is an enormous part of her life. “I thought it was better than ex-pected. We did a really good job,” Horstman said.

The volleyball team ended up making it to the second round of playoffs this year until it suffered a devastating defeat to DeWitt. Win or lose, there was progress individu-ally and as a team.

“I feel like the team became closer and got more comfort-able playing with each other throughout the season,” Horst-man said. “I think our confi-dence levels grew as well.”

Fowlerville is Horstman’s favorite team to play. She likes that Fowlerville is challeng-ing, but her team can still win. The intensity builds during games against the Gladiators because of the long rallies.

Other favorite parts of her season include team dinners, making team shirts and going to Subway with teammate ju-nior Miranda Rogers before games.

Even though the season is over, Horstman plans on stay-ing conditioned and getting prepared for next season.

“I’ll be working out to stay in shape now that the season is over,” Horstman said. “I’ll also play LAVA in the winter and spring.” LAVA is the Lan-sing Area Volleyball Associa-tion, which is a club team.

This is only the beginning for Horstman as she still has one more year of varsity vol-leyball to go. Her goal for the future is to go to a Divison 2 or Divison 3 school to play volleyball in college.

“This is the best season we’ve had during my career,” senior Cody Little said about the soccer team’s spectacular season.

“We’ve all been playing together since grade school,” Little said. “So that and a combination of our new coach let us win leagues and make it to district finals.”

Little was one of 13 seniors on the team this season and was the starting center de-fender. “Mental toughness, our ability to stay cool and confident, as well as experi-ence both individually and as a team, lead to the season’s success,” Little said.

To get pumped up before a game, Little listens to punk and alternative music. “I like to warm up and just mess around with the guys,” he said. “Then it’s game time, and I focus on what I need to do to excel on the field.”

One of his highlights from the season was playing long-time rival, the DeWitt Pan-thers, in the first round of play-offs. The team was confident it could win after beating De-

Witt in a league game earlier in the season.

But DeWitt was not just an-other game for Little.

“Our pride was on the line,” he said. “We had to defend our field and show we had im-proved enough to beat them again.”

Another highlight was play-ing and tying Holt. The Rams were nationally ranked on ESPN at the time and ended up making it to the finals this year.

“We played out of our minds because we were excit-ed to play them and confident we could hang with them,” Little said. The game ended in a 2-2 tie.

Even though the season is over, Little misses being around and messing around with his teammates.

“I mostly miss just hanging out and goofing off with the guys on the team,” Little said.

Little’s future plans for soc-cer include men’s league and indoor in the off season. As for school, he will attend Mich-igan State University to study mechanical engineering.

Little goes out on highest note

Horstman hits ’em hardby courtney BLACK

photo courtesy of allie HORSTMANJunior Allie Horstman goes up for a solid hit during one of the many games she played during the season.

Expectations for upcomingwinter sports

Dom Choma, senior: “We expect big things. Breslin or bust.” Dec. 8- First home game vs St. Johns @ 7:30 p.m.

Crystalle Izzo, senior: “Hopefully [make it to] states this year.”Jan. 16 - Haslett Invitational @ 9 a.m.

Andrew Dotson, sopho-more: “We will be OK, I’m gonna be pretty good.”Jan. 7- First home match vs.

Eaton Rapids @ 3:30 p.m.

Ranga Mutatu, junior: “Going to be win the league, it’s going to be cake.”Dec. 10 - First home meet vs. Ovid-Elsie

Brennen O’Berski, senior: “It’s a building season but everyone else in the league is weak.”Dec. 4 - Home game vs. Okemos @ 8 p.m.

Alicia Foren, senior: “I think [our season] will be interesting but fun.”Dec. 1- First home game vs. Sexton

Anthony Byrnes, senior: “(We are) a young team, (there’s) good leadership, (and) ev-eryone sticks with it. (We) will be good.”Dec. 5 - First mome meet vs. Lainsburg

Boys Basketball

Gymnastics

Boys Bowling

Boys Swimming

Hockey

Girls Basketball

Wrestling

14 November 24, 2009 sports

Less than a minute into the fight, Nick Benton had his opponent in a choke hold. His coach Jamie Stevenson shouted “Let go of the head!” through the latticed caged walls of the octagon. Benton let go, and laid eight final punches into his opponent.

“He just went limp,” Ben-ton said. “His eyes rolled back into his head. The ref stopped the fight because the guy was unconscious and bleeding all over the mat.”

Benton’s first mixed martial arts fight lasted a glorious 56 seconds.

“The ref broke it off and I just ran around the ring,” Ben-ton said. “I looked at my dad who looked like he was about to cry, he was so happy. I just pointed at him. It was kind of emotional.

“It was probably my num-ber one moment ever.”

The 20-year-old Benton, a 2007 HHS grad, began the sport of Mixed Martial Arts last January. MMA is a full combat sport using a wide range of self-defense tech-niques including martial arts, boxing and wrestling.

“My dad works with a guy named Jamie Stevenson who used to be an Olympic boxer and is now a trainer,” Benton said. “I got introduced and started training with him at his private gym in Holt.”

Benton trains five days a week for two hours or more at a time. “We do a lot of run-ning, a lot of sparring, a lot of punching hand mitts and jump rope,” Benton said.

So far, Benton has had two fights within the 170-pound weight class. Both fights were knockouts, the first one with-in 56 seconds, the second in a minute and eight seconds. His next fight has not yet been scheduled.

Benton admits he was ner-vous for his first fight, but he knew he was ready. “I knew I did more than anyone else to prepare so I wasn’t too wor-ried,” Benton said. “But it takes one punch to get knocked out. You could get caught just right

and it would all be over.”Benton has been a fighter

his whole life even though he only began MMA last year.

“I’ve been wrestling since second grade,” he said. “I would’ve boxed but my mom would never let me. So this has been my chance to do it now.”

In the past, though, Benton’s fights always went beyond the wrestling mat. “I was always getting into fights in school,” he said. “I was cocky and short-tempered. I was always trying to prove myself.”

Benton recalls many fights over the years. “I would be fighting on the playground all the time.”

The worst of Benton’s fights happened right after he gradu-ated from high school.

“I got into a fight with this guy and six of his friends were watching so they basically came up and stomped me,” Benton said. “I ended up los-ing a tooth. I was all cut up and beat down. It was the only time I ever lost a fight.”

Benton’s troubled past was a big factor in his decision to take up MMA. Because of his past behaviors, he figured, “I might as well do it legally.

Benton has long outgrown the pointless spur-of-the-mo-ment fights of the past. Much of that has to do with taking up MMA. “It brings a lot of discipline to you. It brought a lot to me,” he said.

He has noticed a change for the better after becoming an MMA fighter. “It’s not hard for me to walk away from stuff anymore,” Benton said. “Through MMA, I learned that heated arguments are just stupid. MMA helped me group up in a big way.”

Benton believes having MMA in his life sooner would have been helpful. “I think I would’ve missed out on a lot of my troubles,” he said. “A lot of it would’ve been avoided if I had the discipline I have now.”

The sport of MMA has re-cently risen in popularity with TV shows like “Tap Out” and

by emma CLAUCHERTY

“The Ultimate Fighter.” Fans get caught up in the glory of the sport without knowing ev-erything about it. Watching the punches through a screen is quite different than feeling them collide with muscle and bone.

“I’ve seen so many people come to our gym and try and make it through our training,” Benton said. “They end up coming twice and quitting be-cause they can’t do it.”

Many people don’t un-derstand the immense effort put into training. “Everyone thinks it’s a fun joke. You go in and throw a few punches and that’s it,” Benton said. “There’s so much more to it than that.”

The satisfaction of a win does not come without the pain of hard work. “Everyone thinks it’s so cool, but it sucks until you get into that ring,” Benton said. “You feel good when you’re done but every-thing else sucks.”

Some of Benton’s most pain-ful moments have been in the gym with his trainer.

“My trainer is hard. He beats on me,” Benton said. “In the gym, I would get to the point where I couldn’t even hold my hands up. My nose would be bleeding everywhere and my trainer still won’t let me stop. Those are probably some of the worse moments of my ca-reer, but you feel like you can take on the world after.”

Right now, Benton plans to continue training and work-ing, but hopes to go into some branch of the armed services eventually.

“I’m considering the Air Force or possibly the Coast Guard,” Benton said.

He still plans to continue fighting during his possible ca-reer. “They have MMA teams in the service so I will try and get on one,” Benton said. “But I’ll definitely continue fight-ing. I love it.”

Before fights, Benton walks into the gym as “Walk,” by the rock band Pantera, blares through the speakers. It’s his signature entrance music.

“When that song is on, everyone knows it’s me,” Benton said. “When the announcer says, ‘And in this corner hailing from Haslett, Michi-gan, Nick the Kaffine Kid Benton!’ that is my time to shine.”

Looking across that octagon, Benton doesn’t feel nervous, just determined to defend something that means much more than his physi-cal well-being.

“As I look at the guy in the other cor-ner, I think, ‘This is my moment. They’re not taking this away from me,’” Benton said. “This is what I do. This is who I am.”

born to

BATTLE

Nick “The Kaffine Kid” Benton finds his place in the octagon.

photo courtesy of nick BENTON

November 24, 200915 sports

photos by taylor PARKER

Narduzzi makes smooth transition from Cincinnati to life as a Vikingby chris LOUNSBERY

KNOW YOUR ATHLETESWe asked coaches and teammates about certain students on their team to see how well they know their athletes.

by jerry EASTWOOD

1. What is David’s pregame meal? Oliver: SpaghettiCORRECT!

2. How long has he been part of the swim team? Oliver: Four yearsCORRECT!

3. What is David’s best event? Oliver: 200 IM CORRECT!

4. What college does David plan on attending? Oliver: MichiganCORRECT!

1. Who is Billy’s favorite musical artist? Byrnes: UnderoathINCORRECT: Breaking Benjamin

2. What is Billy’s favorite drink? Byrnes: Root BeerINCORRECT: Mountain Dew Voltage

3. What does Billy want to do as a profession?Byrnes: Police officerCORRECT!

4. What is Billy’s greatest fear? Byrnes: SpidersINCORRECT: Snakes

1. What is Quinn’s favorite food? Solomon: Panda ExpressCORRECT!

2. What is Quinn’s favorite class this year? Solomon: ArtCORRECT!

3. Does Quinn like competitive or seasonal cheer better? Solomon: CompetitiveCORRECT!

4. What are Quinn’s favorite colors? Solomon: Burgundy and yellowCORRECT!

Since moving to Haslett Public Schools, junior Arianna Nar-duzzi has almost mastered the difficult process of transferring. Narduzzi moved to Haslett two years ago from Cincinnati, Ohio, where her father, Pat, was the linebackers coach at the University of Cincinnati. Now Narduzzi’s father is the defensive coordinator for the Michigan State Spartans.

Although her father is in a relatively high position in the com-munity, Narduzzi explains that she is not treated differently than the rest of the kids.

“The principals (Bart Wegenke and Darin Ferguson) always talk to me about what happened in the game, but other than that, not really,” Narduzzi said, “Like, I don’t get any special treatment from them or my other teachers.”

For the most part, Narduzzi is a regular girl and that’s how she wants it to be. She’s glad that people don’t usually bother her all that much about her father.

“It just gets old sometimes when people are always coming up to me and wanting to talk about the game and the players.” Narduzzi said.

Other than the occasional annoying conversation, being the defensive coordinator’s daughter does have its upsides. Nar-duzzi has an intense passion for the sport of football, shown by

“I’ve met all of them, at one time or another and they know me and my sister. They call us the `Little Duzzis`.

- Junior Arianna Narduzzi

Men’s swim coach Bob Oliver and senior swimmer David Laczynski

Senior wrestlers Anthony Byrnes and Billy Belanger

Junior cheerleader Quinn Wilson and senior cheerleader Sam Solomon

MSU coach’s daughter stays down to earth

”her dedicated following of the sport.

“It’s fun going to the games. I’ve been going basically since I was born,” Narduzzi said. “I usually always know what’s going on with both the offense and the defense. I also usually know when we mess up.”

Narduzzi has also particularly enjoyed meeting the team, and seeing what they like off the field.

“I’ve met all of them, at one time or another and they know me and my sister. They call us the “Little Duzzis” Narduzzi said with a smile.

Narduzzi has a very enjoyable time at Michigan State football games. Once in a while there is an annoying fan of her father’s, but usually Narduzzi’s life is not overly affected by her father’s career.

16 back of the boatNovember 24, 2009

SCHULER BOOKS& MUSIC

L O C A L & I N D E P E N D E N T

M e r i d i a n M a l l , O k e m o s 5 1 7 - 3 4 9 - 8 8 4 0

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Fre e Wi -F i , Author Ev en t s , & More !

Sides to Every Story Sides to Every Story2What part did you play in the musical?“I was a chorus member.”

How did you feel right before the first performance?“I was definitely anxious and excited to see how people would react. I was also really happy and hyper.”

Is this your first musical?“No.”

What else have you been in?“In 7th grade I was in one called “You Ain’t Noth-ing But a Werewolf” and I played a girl named Irene. And in 8th grade I was in ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarves’ and I played Snow White.”

What were you thinking as you walked on stage for the first time?“’Try not to fall.’ I just remember smiling and being happy about being out there.”

What do you like best about the musical experience?“I really liked how everyone was so welcom-ing. I made a lot of new friends and it’s nice that they share the same interests as me. The sets were really cool and they were way more fun than the middle school musicals.”

“Probably “Snow White” just because I was the lead and it was fun being the lead. I got to be the person on stage singing the most and that was nice.But this one was fun because everyone is so energetic about it.”

What part did you play in the musical?“I had a featured role. The names stayed the same so my character’s name was Suzie. I was a figment of the main character, Tom’s,

imagination.”

How did you feel right before the first performance?“I was really excited and a little nervous. But the ner-vousness didn’t last long, so I guess it was more excite-ment than nerves.”

Is this your first musical?“No.”

What else have you been in?“I was in ‘Oklahoma’, ‘Guys

and Dolls’ and ‘The Sound of Music’, which was at my old school.”

What were you think-ing as you walked on stage

for the first time?“’Don’t mess up, remember

everything!’ It was almost like second nature though so I knew I just had to get out there

and do it.”

What do you like best about the musical experience?

“I love after working for so long on it and finally show week comes. Plus, the whole cast gets so close and we all really get along together. It is fun

to go out to dinner before and after the perfor-mances too. The musical is a really busy and

hectic time but it is really fun.”

Out of all of the musicals you have been in what has been you favorite role to play and why?“I think it would have to be ‘Guys and Dolls.’ I really liked the show and it was really fun. I knew a lot of the people in the cast. The music was great and I was able to get close with the cast.”

Jenna O’Berski, freshman

by hannah NOWICKI

photo illustration by andrew BEAUMANphotos by taylor PARKER

Suzie Schmelter, seniorOut of all of the musicals you have been in what has been you favorite role to play and why?